2. It stands for pijrwp, the title applied to Tertullus (q. v.), who appeared as the advocate ox patronus of the Jewish accusers of the apostle Paul before Felix (Acts xxiv, 1). The Latin language was used, and Roman forms observed in provincial judicial proceedings, as, to cite an obviously parallel case, Norman-French was for so many ages the language of English law proceedings. The trial of Paul at Ca;sarea was distinctly one of a Ro- man citizen ; and thus the advocate spoke as a Roman lawyer, and probably in the Latin language (see Acts XXV, 9, 10; comp. Val. Max. ii, 2, 2; Cicero, Pro Calio, c. 30; lirutus, c. 37, 38, 41, where the qualifications of an advocate are described ; see Conybeare and Howson, Life and Epistles of St, Paul, i, 3 ; ii, 348). — Smith. See Advocate.
Oratorio (from Ital. oratorio, chapel or oratory, af- ter the place where these compositions were first per- formed) is the term applied to a sacred musical compo-
ORATORIO
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ORATORIO
sition, bearing the same relation to Church music which the opera does to secular music, and, like it, consisting of airs, duets, choruses, etc. It is, in short, a sjnrilual opera, and holds an intermediate place between relig- ious and secular compositions. The text is generally a dramatized religious poem, as Handel's Samson and Cimarosa's Sacrijizio iVAbramo. Sometimes it takes the form of a narrative, as Israel in Egypt ; and occa- sionally it is of a mixed kind, as Haydn's Creation. The Messiah is a collection of passages from our received translation of the Scriptures.
Concerning the origin of the oratorio, Dr. Brown. Sir John Hawkins, and others seem to have misunderstood the pere Menestrier, who, in his work Des Representa- tions en 3fusique, attributes to the pilgrims, on their re- turn from the Holy Land, not the introduction of what we term oratorios, as those writers supposed, but of the sacred dramas called Mysteries (q. v.). The learned Jesuit is perhaps himself in error on this subject. It is Wharton's opinion that about the 8th century the mer- chants who frequented the fairs, employing every art to draw numbers together, were accompanied by jugglers, minstrels, and buffoons, who were the source of great amusement to the people. The clergy, thinking that such entertainments tended to irreligion, proscribed them ; but their censures and fulminations being disre- garded, they took into their own hands the manage- ment of popular recreations — they turned actors— ^and, instead of profane mummeries, presented stories taken from legends, or from the Bible {Hist, of Poetiy). Vol- taire conjectures that religious dramas came from Con- stantinople, where, about the 4th century, archbishop Gregory of Nazianzum, one of the fathers of the Church, banished plays from the stage of that city, and intro- duced stories from the 0. and N. T. As the ancient Greek tragedy was originally a religious representation, a transition was made on the same plan, and the cho- ruses were turned into Christian hymns. " This opin- ion," says the candid Wharton, " will acquire probability if we consider the early commercial intercourse between Italy and Constantinople." Admitting this, we need seek no farther for the original source of the sacred musical drama.
As regards the more recent introduction of the ora- torio, Crescimbeni, in his Commentario, tells us that it is attributable to San Filippo Neri (q. v.), who in his chapel {nel suo oratoi-io'), after sermons and other de- votions, in order to allure young people to pious of- fices, and to detain them from earthly pleasures, had hymns and psalms sung by one or more voices. Bour- delot is rather more circumstantial on this subject. He says S. Filippo de Neri, a native of Florence, founder in 1540 of the Congregation of the Priests of the Or- atory in Italy, observing the taste and passion of the Romans for musical entertainments, determined to afford the nobles and people the means of enjoying them on Simdays and festivals in his church, and en- gaged for this purpose the ablest poets and composers, who produced dialogues in verse on the principal sub- jects of Scripture, which he caused to be performed by the most beautiful voices in Rome, accompanied h\ all sorts of instnmients. These performances consisted of airs, duets, trios, and recitatives for four voices; the subjects were, .lub and his Friends, the Prodigal Son received by his Father, the Angel Gabriel with the Vir- gin, and the Mystery of the Incarnation. Nothing was spared to render these attractive; the novelty and per- fection thereof drew a crowd of auditors, who were de- lighted with the performances, and contributed largely, by admission money, to the expenses incurred. Hence are derived what we now call oratorios, or sacred repre- sentations {Hist, de la Miistiqtie [174:?], i, •2or)). Some of these poems were printed under the title of Liidi Spiritual!, and among the lirst authors of them was P. Agostino iNIanni. One of the most remarkable was en- titled Rapprese/itatione di A nima e di Corpo, del Signior Emilia del Cavedieri, 2>er i-ecilur cantando. It was the
first attempt in the recitative style, and performed in action on a stage erected in the church of Santa Maria della Vallicella, at Rome, with scenes, dances, etc., as appears from the editor's dedication to cardinal Aldo- brandini, and the composer's instructions for the per- formance. From the latter Dr. Barney {Hist, of Music, iv, 88) gives some curious extracts, among which are the following : The accompanying instruments, namely, a double lyre, a harpsichord, a large guitar, and two flutes — to be behind the scenes ; but the performers are de- sired to have instruments in their hands, as the appear- ing to play would help the illusion. The books of the words were printed. Instead of the modern overture, a madrigal, with all the parts doubled, and fully accom- panied, is recommended. When the curtain rises, two youths, who recite the prologue, ai)pear. Then Time, one of the characters, comes on, and has the note with which he is to begin given him by the instruments be- hind the scenes. The chorus is to be placed on the stage, part sitting and part standing; and when they sing the}' are to be in motion, with gestures. II Corpo (the body), at the words Si che hormai alma via, throws away his ornaments. The World and Human Life are to be gayly dressed, and when divested of their trap- pings are to appear poor and wretched, and finally as dead carcasses. The performance may conclude with or without a dance. If without, the last chorus is to be doubled in all its parts. But if a dance is preferred, a verse beginning " Chiostri alfissimi^' is to be sung, ac- companied reverentially by the dance. During the ritornels the four principal dancers are to perform a bal- let, saltato con capriole (danced with capers), without singing. They may sometimes use the gailliard step, sometimes the canary, and sometimes the courant.